Archive for the ‘Disorders’ Category

According to FOX 61 in Tennessee, councilman Dimitar Kerin was voted out of his position for playing Farmville during meetings. He argued other members on the council played Farmville as well, so much so he had to play during meetings to match them. In the UK, a 12 year-old boy racked up £905 in FarmVille debt. During the period between Jun 19th and July 9th, an average of 63.3 million users played Farmville, making Farmville the most played online game in the world. What makes Farmville so addictive? How can a simple flash based game cause someone to loose their jobs, or spend hundreds of dollars?

A Special U.S. Court ruled on Friday that vaccines containing a mercury preservative does not cause autism. Thimerosal, a mercury based preservative used in many vaccines, has been blamed by many parents of autistic children to be the cause of autism. The court ruled that thimerosal based vaccines did not cause the autism of William Mead, an Oregon boy diagnosed with autism. This closes the door on many parents who were seeking payment from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

What is addiction? When is to much to much? How can one fully understand if they have an addiction? How does one stop an addiction, and if they succeed, are they still addicted? These are just a few of the many questions those who suffer from addictions ask. To be honest, we do not have the answers as of yet, however there is one component of addiction that is known; addiction negatively impacts one’s life.

In the case of extremely bizarre disorders, Genital Retraction Syndrome takes the cake. Often a culture-specific syndrome, it is a condition where an individual believes his or her genitals are retracting into the body, shrinking, or have been removed. This occurs in both males and females, where men often feel their penis is retracting into their body while women feel their breasts are retracting or shrinking. This disorder often occurs in Africa and Asia, and often in areas where there is little access to medical information, leading people to believe myths and superstition.

Have you ever had a dream so intense you thought you were awake? Have you ever seen hallucinations while on the verge of sleep? Have you ever woke up, and find you cannot move and are paralyzed? If so, you have experienced hypnagogia, and it can be very upsetting. It is not uncommon for the average person to experience these events once or twice in their lifetimes. However, some people experience these events often, and it can impact one’s daily life. Many people have never heard of hypnagogia, and cannot understand how an hallicunation can be so frightening. I understand all to well, I have had hypnagogia for most of my life.

A&E’s new series, Hoarders, premiered Monday, August 17th at 10:00 EST. This show gave the audience into the ugly world of hoarding often not visible to the outside world. Hoarding is a subset of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a condition affecting millions of people world wide. Hoarders have a very difficult time throwing things away, and will keep things for years until their houses are so filled with items it becomes difficult and dangerous to live and function normally. As a result, Hoarders often become isolated from society and focus on things within their environment.